News

17 Students Make History Presentations at Undergraduate Research Day

Apr 29, 2009

Seventeen undergraduate students, working with eight different faculty mentors from the WIU History Department, made presentations on their historical research at WIU's Spring 2009 Undergraduate Research Day on Wednesday, April 29 in the University Union. The Centennial Honors College has posted the abstracts of the students' presentations on their web site.

Adam Bednar, mentored by Dr. Timothy Roberts, Assistant Professor of History, presented his research on "The Social Institution of Dueling in Antebellum America (1800-1830)." Mr. Bednar's research was supported in part by Undergradute Research Grants from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the Department of History. Mr. Bednar's paper based on this research won the University's Phi Kappa Phi Senior Research Paper Award earlier this Spring.

Mark Bertels, mentored by Dr. Lee Brice, Associate Professor of History, presented his research on the "Ballista." Mr. Bertels's research was supported in part by Undergraduate Research Grants from CAS and the History Department.

Thomas Caudill, also mentored by Dr. Brice, presented his research on "Why There is a Decreased Use of Cavalry in Military Conflicts."

Mallorie Clark, History's Department Scholar this Spring, presented her research on "Testing the Model of Loyalist Support: The Battle of King's Mountin, 1780." Ms. Clark's presentation is based on her undergraduate honors thesis research, which was mentored by Dr. Virginia Jelatis, Associate Professor of History, and was supported in part by Undergraduate Research Grants from CAS and the Department of History.

Jaiyvohn Davis, mentored by Dr. Peter Cole, Associate Professor of History, presented his research on "Resurrecting Information about Camp Ellis, Illinois and the Process of Reprinting the Book Enemies are Human."

Sarah Farha, also mentored by Dr. McNabb, presented "Rising from the Ashes: An Analysis of Women in Foxe's Book of the Martyrs." Ms. Farha's research was supported in part by a Teeter Undergraduate Research Grant from CAS and an Undergraduate Research Grant from the Department of History.

Marlaina Haberman, mentored by Dr. Ute Chamberlin, Assistant Professor of History, presented "A Small-Town Boy Goes to War: The American Experience at the Western Front, 1918-1919."

Amy Kallenbach, mentored by Dr. Virginia Boynton, Professor of History, presented "Western Illinois University: The Challenges of World War II." Ms. Kallenbach's research was supported in part by Undergraduate Research Grants from CAS and the History Department, which allowed her to present a paper based on her research earlier this Spring at the Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference, held at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Ms. Kallenbach's project has won this year's CAS Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award for research in support of WIU's service region.

Abby Lagemann, mentored by Dr. Jen McNabb, presented "'Animated to Doe Further Mischeefs': Crime and Punishment in Early Modern England, 1558-1635." Ms. Lagemann's presentation is based on her undergraduate honors thesis, and was supported in part by Undergraduate Research Grants and Teeter Research Grants from CAS and Undergraduate Research Grants from the Department of History. Ms. Lagemann, History's Department Citizen-Scholar this year, presented portions of this research earlier this Spring at the Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference and at the 17th Annual Clement S. Stacy Undergraduate Research Conference, held at Purdue University-Calumet in Hammond, Indiana.

Daniel Mieszala, also mentored by Dr. McNabb, presented his research on "Policies Toward Catholics in Elizabethan England, 1558-1589." Mr. Mieszala's research was supported in part by an Undergraduate Research Grant and a Teeter Research Grant from CAS and an Undergraduate Research Grant from the Department of History. Mr. Mieszala presented this research earlier this Spring at the Undergraduate Research Conference held at Purdue University-Calumet.

James Ruppert, mentored by Dr. Tim Roberts, presented his research on "Freedom of the Press vs. Fair Trial."

Brandon Scheppers, also mentored by Dr. Roberts, presented "Indian Fighting and Its Role in the Presidential Elections of Andrew Jackson and William Henry Harrison." Mr. Scheppers's research was supported in part by Undergraduate Research Grants from CAS and the History Department, which allowed him to present his research paper at this Spring's Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference.

Alex Schrift, mentored by Dr. Jen McNabb, presented his research on "The Flagellants and the Divergent Views of Municipal Governmental Officials and Clerics."

William Welt, also mentored by Dr. McNabb, presented his research on "Walsingham and the Spanish Armada: The Role of English Intelligence."

Jim Zoes, mentored by Dr. Lee Brice, will present his research on "Soviet Naval Mutinies After World War II: Causes, Methods, and Reactions."

Jillien Zudell, mentored by Dr. Scott Palmer, Associate Professor of History, present her research on "Gorbachev and Reagan: Thawing the Cold War." Ms. Zudell's research was supported in part by Undergraduate Research Grants from CAS and the History Department.